LONDON, (Reuters): India has blocked the airing of a BBC documentary which questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying that even sharing of any clips via social media is barred.

Directions to block the clips from being shared have been issued using emergency powers available to the government under the country’s information technology rules, said Kanchan Gupta, an adviser to the government, on his Twitter handle on Saturday. While the BBC has not aired the documentary in India, the video was uploaded on some YouTube channels, Gupta said.

The government has issued orders to Twitter to block over 50 tweets linking to the video of the documentary and YouTube has been instructed to block any uploads of the video, Gupta said.

Both YouTube and Twitter have complied with the directions, he added. Modi was the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat when it was gripped by communal riots that left more than 1,000 people dead, by government count – most of them Muslims. The violence erupted after a train carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire, killing 59. Human rights activists estimate at least double that number died in the rioting.

Modi denied accusations that he failed to stop the rioting. A special investigation team appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate the role of Modi and others in the violence said in a 541-page report in 2012 it could find no evidence to prosecute the then chief minister. Modi was later named the head of his party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which he led to power in general elections in 2014 and then in 2019.

Last week, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry termed the BBC documentary a “propaganda piece” meant to push a “discredited narrative”. (Reuters)

NEW DELHI, (PTI): Bilkis Bano on Wednesday challenged the remission of sentence and release of convicts in the 2002 rape and murder case filing a plea before the Supreme Court.

The top court said it will consider listing the matter for hearing.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Shobha Gupta that the victim herself has challenged the grant of remission and release of the convicts, and the matter be listed for hearing.

She said that Justice Ajay Rastogi, who was part of the bench which had heard other similar pleas against the remission, was now part of a Constitution Bench hearing.

”The review has to be heard first. Let it come before Justice Rastogi,” the CJI said.

When the counsel for Bano said let the matter be heard in open court, the bench said, ”Only the court concerned can decide that.” The CJI said that he would take a call on the issue in the evening.

Earlier, a bench of justices Ajay Rastogi and C T Ravikumar had said that it would hear a fresh plea moved by a women’s organisation, National Federation of Indian Women, challenging the remission of sentence and the release of convicts in the case.

The gang-rape case also involves the killing of seven of Bano’s family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. Bano was gang-raped while fleeing the riots that broke out after the Godhra train burning incident.

Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven of her family who were killed.

The 11 men convicted in the case walked out of the Godhra sub-jail on August 15 after the Gujarat government allowed their release under its remission policy. They had completed more than 15 years in jail. (PTI)

AHMEDABAD, (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Ghatlodya constituency candidate Bhupendra Patel on Wednesday filed his nomination for the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat.

Bhupendra Patel, the current Chief Minister of Gujarat, filed his nomination in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Before filing the nominations, Shah and Patel held a roadshow in the Ghatlodya constituency. Also, they addressed a public rally here prior to the inauguration of the chief minister’s election office here. In his address to the public in Ahmedabad, Amit Shah confidently termed Bhupendra Patel as the state’s next chief minister.

“Today with me is the next Chief Minister of Gujarat after the election,” Amit Shah said while addressing a public gathering in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad along with its Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister expressed his trust in the BJP forming government in the Assembly elections slated to be held in two phases in early December and said that the party will “break all records and win with the most number of seats”.

Shah, during his conversation with media persons on Tuesday, hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and said that they are giving pace to the developmental work in the state. The Home Minister also mentioned the law and order situation and said it has improved in the state.

“The leadership of PM Modi and CM Patel is giving pace to development work. Gujarat’s law and order situation has improved, state’s economy has grown. PM Modi’s development model for Dalits, tribals and OBC community of Gujarat is being followed by CM Patel,” he said on November 15.

The BJP on Monday released its fourth list of candidates, where it announced 12 names including two women candidates. Earlier, the party had released the names of 167 candidates for Gujarat polls and fielded Lavingji Thakor from Radhanpur while VJ Jhala has been been given the ticket from Himatnagar. Alpesh Thakor has been fielded from Gandhinagar South.

The party has also fielded Rajulben Desai and Ritaben Patel from Patan and Gandhinagar North respectively. Further, Babu Singh Jadhav will contest from Vatva. In its second list of six candidates, which was released on Saturday, the BJP gave the ticket to women and fielded Mahendrabhai Padaliya from Dhoraji, Mulubhai Bera from Khambhalia, Dheliben Maldebhai Odedara from Kutiyana, Sejal Rajiv Kumar Pandya from Bhavnagar East, Hitesh Devji Vasava from Dediapada (ST) and Sandeep Desai from Choryasi.

The BJP announced the first list of candidates for 160 candidates out of the 182 constituencies, on Thursday, for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. The first list of 160 candidates includes 14 females, 13 from scheduled caste, 24 from the scheduled tribe and there are 69 candidates who have been repeated.

In the first round, 89 of the total 182 Assembly seats will go to polls and prominent political parties have declared their candidates for almost all these constituencies. The BJP has drawn up a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides the party’s national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and fellow central cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purushottam Rupala. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the Ghatlodia Assembly segment, also features in the star campaigners list along with BJP state president CR Patil and state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi.

The ruling party is seeking its seventh, straight term in power in the ensuing state polls. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long time, and the party has set its sights on returning to power with a handsome majority this time. However, it faces a stiff electoral challenge from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has named Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate.

Meanwhile, Congress can also be seen hoping to put its best electoral foot forward to unseat the BJP government, which has been in the state for the last 27 years. (ANI)

MORBI, GUJARAT: As of 10 pm on Sunday at the time of publishing this story, more than 60 people have been found or fished out of the river dead and hundreds more are imjured.

The nearly century-old suspension bridge on the Machchhu river collapsed around 6.30 pm owing to too many people on it following its reopening just four days ago after renovation.

”Cable bridge collapse in Gujarat points to the gross negligence of the BJP government. Its repair was said to be done five days back. Where from the contractors got this courage? The compensation needs to be increased. A reliable enquiry should take place to unveil political involvement,” CPI leader Binoy Viswam tweeted.

A private operator had carried out the repair work of the bridge for nearly six months before it was reopened to the public on the Gujarati New Year day celebrated on October 26. (READ THE LATEST UPDATES ON MORBI BRIDGE COLLAPSE HERE)

(With inputs from PTI)

UPDATE: 31st October, 10.45 am (10.45 HRS) IST: The death toll in the Morbi bridge collapse has risen to almost 148, with more bodies being found as rescue work continues. Nearly 190 injured persons have been either admitted to hospitals or treated and sent home, after first aid and other treatment.